Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-20
FROM THE PANHANDLE,
Hon. j. n. Browning is Interviewed on
the Condition OF Affairs In the
Great Texas Panhandle,
Every thiug Flourishing-To Form an In.
telligent Estimate of that Section
One Must Visit IT.

Hon. j. n. Browning of Mobeetie was
in the city yesterday on his way to Dallas
and paid THE GAZETTE pleasant call.
He is perhaps the best posted man in the
Panhandle and the Establishments of THE
GAZETTE scribe beguiled him into i'm
parting much valuable information con-
corning that section which is here given:
RepOrter-"Mr. Browning, has your
section suffered much from the droUth
this year?r
Said Mr.. Browning: "No, sir; we have
had some drouth last winter which was
the best thing that could have happened
for the cattle interests, as it tended to
! preserve the grass instead of washing the
substance out of it. The cattle came
through the winter very well, aud are
now in good condition. OF course the
drouth Tapped over on the spring little
more than we desired, but the rains
finally came down and relieved all anX-
| iety. We had rains in Mobeetia long be-
| fore they fell in more centrally located
districts. | may say on the whole, that
| we have not suffered from drOuth. Our
people are as prosperous and thriving as
possible"
Reporter-"Does your section seem to
! be attracting many farmers, or is it
adapted to farming purpOses?"
| Said Mr.. BroWning-"We have a num-
! Der of farmers and have had them since
! the country was first settled. / think it
safe to say that, for the capital invested,
the farmers have made more money than
! the stockmen, buta. the same time stock
raising is the predominating industry. Well
Watered? Yes, but you cannot tell much
| by looking at the maps. No man Can
! form an intelligent idea of the Panhandle
without visiting it. 1t is a country
unique and peculiar to itself and cannot
| be measured by the ordinary rules OF
estimating other sections. l was talking
| before | left home to Hon. B. NJ. Baker,
! formerly state superintendent OF public
! schools, and he told me Of his expo
rience. tie said that efter being g state
officer for four years he hattered himself
that he knew the Panhandle country, but
he was willing to confess that he knew
nothing about it until his present visit.
! And this is the case with the majority of
people. They go to Albany, Wichita
Falls or Harold and imagine they cave
visited the Panhandle, but they can learn
bat little about it without more eX-
tended observation.
/
beetle expect additional railroad con
nections?"
Said Mr.. Browning: eyes; we are ex-
| pecting more railroads as soon as the
projected lines are extended. We will
not secure all OF them. Some will, like
Abraham and Lot, go to the right and to
the left of US, but others will come to
US"
Reporter: "What was the appearance
OF the growing crops which you have
seen on your way DOWN."
Said Mr.. Browning: "WelI, cannot
! give you much information on this head.
In the immediate vicinity of my home I
have little opportunity of witnessing
much agriculture and am not q good
| Judge. However, l made some inquiries
on the train and was informed that they
were very good and gave promise Of an
ample yield"
Reporter: 81 presume the political
horizon is clear and cloudless out west;
have you any prohibs and antis?" The
scribe, usually bold as lion, propounded
this question with considerable terpids-
ton. He did not dare to ask the question
| singlY, but tackled it on as ''rider' to
clever and very learned observation upon
politics in general. To his establishment,
however, the gentleman from the wild,
wide west responded without hesitancy
or any of those circumlocutary eXpedi-
ents so common to statesmen near the
effete centers of civilization. He spoke
with fresh western frankness, which at
once disarmed suspicion and satisfied in
quiry
Said Mr.. Browning: "There hag been
and will be but little talk on the subjecJ
of prohibition in the Panhandle, owing to
the fact that our country is too sparsely
settled. I doubt If there will be q speech
made out there during the campaign.
| People however, are fully awake to its
Importance, and l would not be surprised
if the amendment received q respectable
vote in the Panhandle"
Reporter-'In your opinion does q
mans vote on this amendment have any
thing to do with his political affiliations
as Democrat or g Republican,"
Said Mr.. BroWning-"It does not; this
is politico-economic question, or ques-
ton of police regulation; it is strictly
non-partisan."
Reporter-"You are not afraid OF being
read out of the Democratic party, then"
Said Mr.. Browniug-"Not much. l
think both sides concede this non-parti-
san question. There was some talk about
the Dallas convention, or some OF its
members, threatening to read people out
of the Democratic party for voting for the
amendment. but that, think, has passed
over and will not be again heard from.
If the prohibition executive committee in
sist on reading me out of the party want
| it to send its lettres de cachet by that
sterling Democratic warhorse, A. N.
Quincy of Galveston" continued Mr..
Browning, laughing, and the pleasant
chat ended.
| Discovered Comet.